The Bachelorette 2018: Robert Thinks Charlie Needs To Back Off

Although Robert and Ali initially hit it off, things turned a swift corner for the frontrunner after he failed to make a great impression on Ali's BFF and cousin.

Robert told 10 daily over the phone that for him, hearing that her friends and family didn't like him really "rattled" him.

"I’m a very big family person, so to hear that they didn’t like me really rattled my cage and affected me pretty bad," he explained. "Like, how can you be in a relationship with someone your friends and family don’t like, how are you gonna make that work?"

This conversation with Ali, Robert said, prompted him to "reflect deeply" about the reality of whether there was potential for a real relationship between them outside the world of The Bachelorette, and hearing that Ali was using the show as a tool to work through her relationship issues "raised a bit of an alarm bell" for him.

"I went into that house ready to meet someone, ready to fall in love, ready to get married, ready for it all, and I kind of felt like we were on a little bit of a different page and I just had a few concerns," he explained. "At the end of the day, I didn’t just wanna get into a relationship with anybody, I want to get into a relationship with somebody where I know it’s gonna work and I know it’s gonna be happy and I know it’s gonna be forever after."

Despite their obvious connection, Robert went on to say that didn't believe that the time or the place was right for love to blossom between the pair.

Calling her "a very strong woman" with "a lot of qualities" that he looks for, he said he believes that Ali made "the right choice" in sending him home.

"I think it was a little bit too much too soon," he said, adding: "I wouldn’t say she made the wrong decision, and obviously she has a lot of great guys to choose from, as well."

With nothing but "respect" for whoever Ali does end up with, Robert said that "she'd be lucky" to end up with whoever she chooses, and that "they'd be lucky to end up with her" also.

Still, he did go on to say that he thinks Charlie would benefit from backing off and giving Ali the space to draw her own conclusions about the other guys in the mansion, calling it "frustrating" to watch, both on television and IRL at the cocktail parties.

"Charlie just kind of needs to let it be and allow Ali the space to work it out for herself and not be in her ear badmouthing Bill because he’s not… when he’s trying to protect her, he’s only hurting her," Robert mused. "He’s putting a sour taste in her mouth about Bill, but Bill could potentially be the perfect guy for her and he’s throwing her senses off about him."

Pointing out that Ali is a grown woman who "lives her life", and reiterating that she's "very intelligent", Robert continued:

"She’s got the ability to work it out for herself and I think that Charlie really needs to allow Ali to do that. He can’t fall in love for her. It’s a bit frustrating to keep listening to it over and over and over again. You can’t tell her how to think and how to act."

Despite not finding love on the show, Robert said that his Bachelorette experience "has been fantastic" and "very positive".

Explaining that he originally applied after his ex-girlfriend Carly -- who appeared on Married at First Sight -- encouraged him to, Robert said that it's been "a whirlwind of emotions and a good opportunity to learn a little bit more" about himself.

Elaborating, he said that the experience taught him how to be more "forthright" with his emotions.

"It allowed me the time to think, focus and clearly work out in my head what it is [I'm looking for]," he said. "I was able to verbalise what I want in a relationship, which is not something you do out loud very often."

As his journey comes to a close, Robert told us that he's now "back to reality" at work, and keeping busy renovating his house, which he described as "a bit of a nightmare".

"I’m just taking everything as it comes, day by day," he finished.

THE BACHELORETTE AIRS ON WEDNESDAYS AND THURSDAYS AT 7:30PM, ONLY ON 10 AND WIN NETWORKS.